DUBAI, NOV 21: India’s home-produced Tejas fighter jet crashed at the Dubai Air Show on Friday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said, marking the second such crash in less than two years. The fighter was flying at a low altitude at around 2:15pm (1015 GMT) before coming down in a ball of fire, according to a witness. Footage from the site showed black smoke rising behind a fenced airstrip. This is the second known crash of the fighter jet, which is powered by General Electric engines. The first crash was during an exercise in India in March 2024.
In a statement on X, the Indian Air Force confirmed the death of the pilot in the incident. “An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at [the] Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident,” the Air Force said.
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the IAF posted. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.”
India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces expressed their deep regret over the incident. The incident occurred during a scheduled aerial display, which is part of the prestigious airshow attended by aviation companies and military delegations from around the world. Indian media said the Tejas fighter jet went down while performing an aerial manoeuvre at the event. Dubai’s government shared a photograph of firefighting teams dousing a smouldering wreckage. It said emergency teams were managing the situation on-site.
The crash happened during the last day of the air show, the Middle East’s largest aviation event, which started on Monday.
